Universal TB screening of immigrants to Canada costly and inefficient

Canada's blanket practice of screening all newly arriving immigrants for tuberculosis (TB) is highly inefficient and should focus on only those arriving from countries with high rates of TB, according to new research. All immigrants to Canada are screened for contagious forms of TB by chest x-ray before emigrating, and some receive secondary surveillance after settling in the country. The study indicates that immigrants from areas with low rates of TB should not be routinely screened for TB and current practice of surveillance after arrival is marginally effective, and unnecessary for some immigrant populations